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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822220">fireflies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pidgeandcat/pseuds/pidgeandcat'>pidgeandcat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>cat zkdd 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Nightfall - Freeform, Oneshot, Zutara, bro they’re in love brooo ahah, just a sweet liddle moment ...., zkdd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:39:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pidgeandcat/pseuds/pidgeandcat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“do you know what else they call fireflies?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>cat zkdd 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>ZK Drabble December 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>fireflies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi everyone!! for zkdd day one i decided to do a lil oats inspired drabble about them on the bell tower , so creds to eleventyseven for writing the bible :)) enjoy and tysm for reading!! (cat)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>The sun drained of its color and sank lower in the sky, the feathered clouds shifting from rusty orange to deep indigo. Sleep settled over Ba Sing Se like a jacket, the quiet city slipping its arms into the sleeves and zipping up tight while it slumbered. The occasional rattle of a window frame or the blustering of trees in the wind could be heard faintly from the distance, but besides that, it was as quiet as a feather landing on a carpet, leaving no evidence of its fall other than a light streak of dust. And as was the nature of dust setting into the carpets of most homes, it was being disrupted in only one, ejected from its resting place on the staircase as heavy feet creaked down it, stumbling all the way. </p><p> </p><p>With fingers closing over wrists and the silken rustle of satin robes against skin, soft thunder rumbled through the hallway and burst out of the door with a deep breath and a giggle. It wove through the cobbled streets and whispered not so quietly as the two of them raced along, both aware of where they were going, neither needing to ask. She sped ahead of him, dark hair flying behind her as she tore down the alley, falling over her shoulders as she turned and waited breathlessly for him to catch up. He staggered towards her at full speed, nearly bowling her over into a vendor’s cart as he caught her around the shoulders with a laugh. As the last amber light was blown out somewhere in the upper ring, they scrambled hand in hand up the smooth stone steps of a bell tower. </p><p> </p><p>Their bell tower- The one that held too many of their secrets to count in its mossy walls, that had witnessed every tender conversation held under a golden sky, that knew the things both of them wanted to say but left unspoken. </p><p> </p><p>They tumbled out onto the roof and caught their breath, landing on their backs, staring at the spattering of silver stars above them, savoring the familiar weight of another hand in theirs. After a long while, he sat up, pulling her with him to the edge of the tower overlooking the city. The rough stone bit into their elbows as they leaned over it and quickly descended into a playful back and forth game of nudging their shoulders; eventually they relaxed into each other's sides, watching the smoke drifting from a lone brick chimney poking up through the hundreds of roofs. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in the night air, catching notes of spice and smoke from the fabric she lay on. </p><p> </p><p>And they stayed like that, quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Until something caught her eye, drawing her off him as she reached out into the still night air, grasping for something invisible. He looked at her curiously, though endeared. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing?” </p><p> </p><p>She didn’t respond right away, and when she did, it was through strained focus. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m trying to- just- wait, hang on…” She continued for another minute before suddenly clapping her hands together with a gasp. “Got one!” </p><p> </p><p>“One what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Come here, I’ll show you.”</p><p> </p><p>He edged closer to her and peered down into her cupped hands.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t see anything in there-”</p><p> </p><p>“Just wait.”</p><p> </p><p>And so he did, and he wasn’t disappointed. A few seconds later a bright light flashed neon from the center of her palms, and he stepped back in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“What <em> is </em>that?” he asked, bending over to look at it again. </p><p> </p><p>“Have you seriously never seen a firefly before?” she smirked, but he remained transfixed.</p><p> </p><p>“I mean, I know what they are, but I’ve never really seen one. I’m not usually out to see them late at night. And I also didn’t know that they glowed…” </p><p> </p><p>She smiled at his childlike wonder. “Here,” she said, gently dropping the bug from her hands into his, and he started. </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, wh-”</p><p> </p><p>Whatever he was about to say never passed his lips as the firefly illuminated itself again and crawled over the back of his hand, captivating him once more. It was a side of him she had never seen before, a side that she swore to uncover as much as she could from now on. </p><p> </p><p>When the firefly finally decided it’d had enough manhandling for the night and zipped off into the dark, she put her arm around him as they stared at its intermittent beacon through the sky.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know what else they call fireflies?” she asked. </p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>She thought of that moment, the one that had almost sealed his fate had she not been there. She remembered the tears, the blood, the sweat. The fear. The relief. </p><p> </p><p>Because of that moment, this one might have never happened. But it did happen. He was here. He was happy. And so was she. </p><p> </p><p>“Lightning bugs.” </p><p><br/>
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